The present invention relates to a beverage holder used in passenger vehicles, particularly to a beverage holder with anti-spill protection.
Most passenger vehicles utilize beverage holders of some type. This includes anything from a compact car to an airplane. All modes of vehicular transportation necessarily involve vibration and accompanying jarring movement of the vehicle which can cause a beverage placed in a beverage holder to spill. This occurs quite often in airplanes, boats or trains where beverages are often served out of cups or glasses rather than in a can or an open ended container with a special lid.
One type of beverage holder is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,652 issued on Oct. 30, 1990. This beverage holder is part of a folding table used in the back of airplane seats and comprises two drink wells with ledges which support cups of various sizes. While the cups may fit into the drink wells, this tray is not adequate in preventing beverages from spilling over the edge of a cup when airplane turbulence acts up because there are no means to prevent the liquid contained in the cup from spilling when jarred.
A foldable tray that can also hold beverages and books is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,781 issued on Nov. 27, 1990. This foldable tray has several openings wherein beverages may be placed. Cups placed in these openings are supported from beneath by a crossbar which supports the tray. This tray is not well adapted for use in vehicles because it is intended to be placed on a large flat surface making it more susceptible to movement. Containers placed in this tray may jostle within the circular openings and spill their contents. Moreover, the support means adds unwanted additional complexity to the tray and it also interferes with leg room.
Beverage holders may also be integrated within passenger seatbacks as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,602 issued on Jun. 6, 1989. This apparatus permits storage of sealed beverage cans within the seatback of a chair, such as those found on airplanes. Cups containing beverages cannot be stored in this configuration because of the horizontal storage method employed.
Another type of beverage holder is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,877 issued on Feb. 12, 1974. This beverage holder is made up of a generally circular tray which has several drink wells evenly spaced around an inner radius of the tray. The tray has legs which permit the holder to be placed on a surface when filled with cups and a writing surface. These components are geared towards the invention""s goal of increasing the ease of serving beverages when utilizing the beverage holder. This beverage holder is not well suited for passenger vehicles and their vibrations because the tray could easily tip over and further, there is nothing to cover the top portion of any beverages being transported.
In view of the above, it should be appreciated that there still is a need for a beverage holder with a movable spill guard permitting coverage of a beverage container in a drink well when conditions require. The present invention satisfies these long felt needs and provides other further related advantages.
The present invention is embodied in a beverage holder that includes a tray with at least one drink well. The drink well can be circular or polygon shaped so long as it is proportioned to receive a cup. Additionally, the tray can be outfitted with a pivot member connecting a beverage guard to it. The beverage guard is connected to the tray by the pivot member in such a manner as to allow it to move and cover the drink well. The beverage guard may be engaged to cover the drink well when a cup is placed within the drink well so as to prevent the contents of the cup from spilling. When not in use, the beverage guard may be moved to a position where it does not cover any portion of the drink well.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.